Journey to Munich

A Novel

It's early 1938, and Maisie Dobbs is back in England. On a fine yet chilly morning, as she walks towards Fitzroy Square--a place of many memories--she is intercepted by Brian Huntley and Robert MacFarlane of the Secret Service. The German government has agreed to release a British subject from prison, but only if he is handed over to a family member. Because the man's wife is bedridden and his daughter has been killed in an accident, the Secret Service wants Maisie--who bears a striking resemblance to the daughter--to retrieve the man from Dachau, on the outskirts of Munich.

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1938 and Maisie travels from England to Germany to impersonate a prisoner's daughter and thereby secure his release from Germany. The books have a formula and can be a little tedious, but still a good story and there are thoughtful moments and life lessons woven into the story.

A particularly complex plot, perhaps too much so. Some professional reviews call Maisie "prissy" and "humorless." Under the circumstances of impersonating a woman she doesn't know, and being in Nazi Germany with not just one but two missions, she's got a lot on her plate. The only person in the book who has a sense of humor is the American spy. This isn't the best Maisie Dobbs, but I like her as a character. She's given a task to do that she doesn't want. I wouldn't either! Yet in the end, she handles it well, and brings home both people.

One of the best Maisie stories. Very timely look at the strange days that brought Hitler to power even though he was NOT loved by the people. We are spared the complete rehash of all her earlier career, loves, and losses that for a wile was taking up large sections of these books. This book is for first-time readers of Winspear and old fans, too.

I enjoyed this book very much. Maisie Dobbs is a great character, and her time in Nazi Germany is spine-tingling. It is also positive to see Maisie embracing life again after her tragic losses. I am already looking forward to the next book!

It's nice that Winspear doesn't let us in on all Maisie's thoughts and still unfolds the action at a decent pace. It's like Foyles War, but with a woman in the lead. I'm waiting for Julian Fellowes or Anthony Horowitz to pick up the rights for a television series starring Emily Blunt as Maisie.

I have been a fan of Maise Dobbs since the beginning. This was the most exciting of all the books so far! I was so tense reading it, worrying about whether she would be safe in Munich or not. Highly recommend it. Very fun read.

Summary

Maisie Dobbs begins a new chapter of her life in the latest from Jacqueline Winspear.

In her last, much darker adventure, Maisie is still mourning her husband and unborn daughter. She retreated to a region of the world facing civil strife, and immersed herself in a murder investigation, nursing and even some spying. In this 12th novel she has returned to her native England, more herself but still processing the events that changed her life. However an old associate in the police force has been seconded to Whitehall, and he and his new colleagues know that danger is approaching from Germany’s borders.

They ask Maisie to travel to Germany – to the heart of the new Nazi regime – to retrieve a scientist they believe imprisoned in the now infamous Dachau camp. To do so, Maisie must pose as his daughter, learn German, and how to shoot a pistol. Initially unsure but feeling it is something she must do, Maisie readies herself to leave – and then the man she blames for her husband’s death makes a request of her – one that opens wounds that had just begun to heal, and shows her just how much steel she can summon when in duress.

Fans of the BBC television series Foyles War will love Maisie Dobbs, a thoughtful, introspective heroine who tries to be at peace with her past, while using the lessons it taught her to build a brighter future. Winspear builds tension very subtly throughout, yet the story moves at a quick pace; and though this latest novel is much more a historical adventure than mystery (those familiar with Canadian and British WWII history will no doubt recognize the character based on Lord Beaverbrook), toward the end the author moves Maisie’s character back into familiar investigative territory, promising further mysteries down the road.